Railroad-tie.



PATBNTBD JULY 10,

- S- SM ALLWGGD.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLIUATIDH FILED DEU. 4. 1905.

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No. 825,492. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. I

G, S, SMALLWQOD.

RAILRGB TIE.

APPLIGnmN ruim naam, 1905.

A2 SHEETS-HEEFT 2.

LARENUE S. SMALLVVOOD, OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINIS.

RAILROAD-TIE.

No. 825,49e.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 190B.

Application lad December 4, 1905. Serial No. 280.234.

To (LZ/L' whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE S. SMALL- WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granite City, in the county of Madison, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railroad-ties, and more particularly to metallic ties, and has for its obiect to provide a tie of this kind including means by which rails may be easily and securely attached thereto.

other object is to provide a structure which will permit of some variation of the distance between the rails.

Gther objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description. Y

In the drawings formin a portion of this specification, and in whiclgi like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figvure 1 is a side elevation of the present tie. ig. 2 is a top plan view, one of the retaining-tongues being bent to held its Wed e against dislodgment. Fig. 3 is a cen,- tral Vongitudinal section of one end of the tie, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the parts being somewhat enlarged. Fig. 4 line 4 llof Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectionon line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawin s, the resent tie com' rises a flat metallic p ate 5, lhaving longitu 'nal slots 6 therein adjacent to its ends, and between its slots the plate is provided with an upwardly-extending strengthenng-rib 7, which extends longitudinally of the tie. At either end of each of the slots 6 there are upwardly-extending lips 8, having their mutually-adjacent faces beveled under, as shown at 9, and 'slidably engaged in each of the slots there are a pair of cooperating jaws 10, which extend outwardly of the slots and have flanges 11 at extending inwardly for base-flanges of a rail 12.

The outer faces of the j aws 10-those which lie in the direction of the lips S-are beveled under, as shown at 18, in a manner similar to the faces 9 of the lip, so sages are formed between the jaws and Ythe lip and have their minor dimensions directed upwardly. The corresponding faces 9 and 13 of the lips and jaws, respectively, converge engagement over the is a section on` their upper portions f that dovetailed pesi in one direction to give the dovetailed passages a slight taper toward one end, and the two passages at each end of the tie taper in opposite directions, as shown.

VVedge-plates 14 are engaged in the tapered passages between the jaws and lips and are shaped to conform to the taper of these assages, and it will be understood that tlliese plates 1e when moved in one direction move the jaws 10 toward each other to ti htly grasp a rail disposed therebetween. hese `iaws are in reality provided with horizontal slots 10 in their mutually-adjacent faces, which form both the flanges 11, lying above the base-ilanges of the rail, and also inwardlyextending lower flan es 15, which extend inwardly beyond the flanges 11 and which receive the rail thereupon. The lower portions of these jaws 10 have their side walls slanted outwardly and downwardly to give the base portions of the jaws a transversely-dovetailed shape, the slot 6 being formed to receive these dovetailed portions slidably therein, as stated above, the slots being also dovetailed in cross-section. At one end these slots 6 are broadened, as shown at 6 to permit of the insertion and removal of the jaws, and when the parts are assembled one of the wed e-plates 14 lies over each of these broadene portions. i

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the rails 32 ma Y be moved to occupy different positionswit respect to the lips 8 by forcing one of the wedge-plates 14 to a greater and the other to a lesser extent between the jaws 10 and the lips 8. At its minor end each of the wedge-plates 14 has adjacent to one side thereof a retaining-inger i6, which when the parts are assembled extends beyond the ad'acent edge of the body portion or late 5, an these lingers are bent downward y over these edges of the body portion to revent withdrawal of the wedge-plates. Wgien it is desired to disengage the rails from the ties, the retaining-fingers may he bent up to disengage them from the ties, and the Wedge-plates may then be struck with a suitable implement upon the portions 14 of their minor ends, which lie at one nde of the tongue 16.

What is claimed isy1. In a railroad-tie, the combination with a base portion havin a slot therein and having upwardly-exten ing lips 'at the ends of its slot, of jaws slidably engaged in the slott and arranged for the reception of a rail there- ICO IIO

ISi

'wardly and toward each other and horizonbetween, members engaged between the jaws and the lips, and iingers carried by the menibers, said fingers being bent to extend downwardlT over the side faces of the base portion.

2. In a tie, the combination with a base portion havin f a slot therein and having lips at the ends ot the slot, of jaws slidably engaged in the slot, said jaws and lips having their mutually-adjacent faces slanted uptally and toward each other to form tapered dovetailed. passages, dovetailed wedge-plates in the passages, and retaining-ingers carried by the wedge-plates at their minor ends and extending downwardly over the base portion.

3. In a railroad-tie, the combination with a base portion having a dovetailed slot therein and having projections at the ends of its slot, of 'aws having dovetailed lower portions slidably engaged in the slot, said jaws having their mutually-adjacent ends slotted transversely for the reception of the baseflanges of a rail, the mutually-adjacent faces of the jaws and projections bein upwardly and horizontally convergent to germ dovetailed tapered passages therebetween, said passages being tapered in opposite directions, wedge-plates engaged in the tapered passages, and fingers carried by the wedgeplates at their minor ends and engaging the ody portion to hold the wedge-plates against removal, said fingers being of a character to permit of their being bent out of operative position, said wedge-plates having portions at their minor ends arranged to receive an instrument thereagainst for disengagement of the wedge-plates from the passages.

In testirnon)T whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE S. SMALLWOOD.

Witnesses:

L. E. ERWIN, G, E. WHITTEN. 

